Chinese Braised Beef Shank Slow Cooker

Introducing a Chinese beef shank recipe that features tender juicy braised beefiness in a rich and savory broth that'south full of olfactory property. The recipe requires very little easily-on time and is super like shooting fish in a barrel to put together. Once done, yous can savor the beefiness by itself, employ it to make salad, summit noodles with information technology, and more. The braising broth, besides known as "master sauce" in China, can exist used again and over again for marinating and braising meat, tofu, and vegetables. {Gluten-Free adjustable}

Chinese braised beefiness shank, or Jiang Niu Rou, is a popular cold-cut dish that you tin become either at a restaurant or from the deli counter of a regular grocery store. The beef shank is slowly cooked in a master sauce with a soy sauce base of operations and various spices, until tender and infused with a corrupt savory aroma. You lot tin simply slice the beef and consume it by itself – paired with cold beer as an appetizer if you like to follow custom. You can besides make a quick beef salad with a spoonful of the braising broth and chili oil. Personally, I beloved to use the braising liquid to make a xx-minute noodle basin, topped with chunks of the braised beefiness shank.

Why this recipe

Traditionally, Chinese braised beef shank is prepared in a very fragile mode to maximize the flavor. For example, the beef is often soaked in cold water for hours to become rid of the blood and give the meat a cleaner taste. Many restaurants also marinate the meat earlier braising to enhance the flavor. The beefiness is often braised until just cooked through, so it'due south easy to slice very thinly.

In my habitation cooked version:

1. The prep time is shortened a lot past skipping the soaking and marinating. Yes, the extra steps practise help with the flavor, but I constitute them less important than using a very counterbalanced and seasoned braising goop.
2. The braising liquid spices are curated and shortened, and so you can easily source all the ingredients from a grocery store. The traditional Chinese beefiness shank braising spices often include Chinese herbs such as tsao guo and sand ginger. Sometimes information technology'due south a challenge to source those fresh high quality ingredients in the U.s.a. to actually make an bear on on the dish. That'due south why I replaced them with black cardamom and ginger, which have very similar flavor profiles and are easy to find.
3. I cut up the meat and braised it for a longer time for a more tender event. Back in China, I oftentimes found the beefiness shank a scrap as well tough for my gustatory modality. When I made it at home for this recipe, I accidentally cooked it too long and the meat almost fell autonomously. I LOVED the result. And then I decided to share this version because I think the texture is superior to the traditional one. If y'all prefer the chewy texture, simply chill the beef in the refrigerator and the meat will toughen up and so you can serve it as a cold dish.

Ingredients

Why beefiness shank

Beefiness shank (or beefiness shin) is the leg portion of a cow. The cut is muscly, lean, tough, and full of connective tissue. However, once cooked depression and slow, or using a pressure cooker (Instant Pot), the connective tissue melts away and the meat becomes juicy and tender. In fact, information technology'southward ane of the best cuts for stews and braised dishes. Considering the lean musculus is quite short and protected by the connective tissue, when braised, it has a softer and juicier mouthfeel  and is less stringy than some of the more expensive cuts.

On the other hand, if you lot cannot detect beef shank, information technology'southward totally OK to use other cuts such every bit chuck, brisket, or short ribs.

Soy bean paste

A key ingredient in this recipe is soy bean paste, or Huang Dou Jiang (黄豆酱). Y'all may also see it labeled equally "ground bean paste" or simply "bean paste". The soy bean paste is made with fermented soybeans. Information technology tastes savory and salty, like soy sauce merely with a richer flavor and denser texture.

If you cannot find soy edible bean paste, Chinese sweetness edible bean paste (甜面酱) is the next all-time thing. Alternatively, you lot can also replace it with oyster sauce or black bean sauce. The flavor profile of the dish will change but remain succulent.

Braising ingredients

I've tried my all-time to shorten the ingredient list and use species you tin can easily observe. If you oft braise meat, you probably already have virtually of them.

Cooking process

In one case you've gathered all the ingredients, the cooking couldn't be simpler:

1. Cover the beef with cold water and add the aromatics
2. Eddy the beef and skim the cream from the top. This stride gets rid of the impurities from the broth and makes it clearer
3. Add the rest of the braising ingredients
4. Pressure melt or melt on the stovetop until the beefiness turns tender

I highly recommend using a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot for this 1, considering it shortens the cooking fourth dimension by a lot. The beefiness will be so tender that you lot tin can cutting it with a fork.

How to serve Chinese braised beef shank

1. Serve information technology by itself, hot or cold

Once you're done cooking, you can but serve the braised beef shank with some braising liquid. The meat is super tender and pairs perfectly with steamed rice. The meat will become more than flavorful if you soak it in the cooking liquid for a twenty-four hours or more, simply I just add together a spoonful of the broth onto my rice when I eat it. Information technology's so succulent!

You can too wait for the meat to plow cold, slice information technology thin, and serve it as a cold appetizer. Information technology works nice in the summer with a drinking glass of cold beer.

2. Brand a quick beefiness salad

I shared this super quick beef salad recipe that uses the braised beef shank and braising broth. Past adding celery, cilantro, and peanuts, the texture of the dish becomes much more interesting. A generous pour of homemade chili oil is a must!

3. Super fast beefiness noodle soup

This xx-minute beef noodle soup is a perfect one-bowl meal for whatever time of solar day. You can put it together with just a handful of ingredients, using the braising liquid as the soup base of operations and the tender beefiness chunks as topping.

How to use the leftover braising liquid

The beautiful thing about the Chinese braised beef shank is, you can reuse the braising liquid once more and again. That'south why some people call information technology "1000 year sauce". When you re-use it, ideally you should top it off with more than liquid and extra spices, so the amount of the goop remains unchanged. However, hither are a few ways to use the goop easily:

1. Cook a few soft boiled eggs similar you normally would and use the broth to marinate the eggs. The egg yolk volition be cured in the broth and taste heavenly.
2. Braise the tofu in the goop with a touch of chili oil. Information technology's 1 of my favorite means to enjoy tofu considering it is infused with a rich flavor and tastes then good.
3. Use the broth as a base to poach chicken. The thought is like to soy sauce chicken, but the chicken will turn out richer considering the braising liquid has the bulky essence.
4. You lot can also use a pocket-size corporeality of the broth to braise or stir fry vegetables. For example, when my mom makes the braised napa cabbage, she always uses broth instead of water and oyster sauce to create a delicious base.

Afterthought

Chinese braised beefiness shank is a humble yet very versatile dish. It is perfect for meal prep and cooking in advance because you can use the meat and broth to create many other dishes throughout the calendar week. I hope you enjoy it as much as I exercise!

Other recipes you might like

• Chinese Pork Belly Bun (Rou Jia Mo, 肉夹馍) – Tip: try using the Chinese beef shank to supplant the braised pork!
• Piece of cake Paw-Pulled Noodles – serve this beef over manus-pulled noodles to impress your friends!
• Edible bean Sprout Stir Fry – a great side dish to go with this one
• Easy Chinese Cucumber Salad (拍黄瓜) – a archetype common cold titbit that's swell with everything
• Existent Bargain Sesame Noodles – Employ 1 to two tablespoons of beef goop to replace the water in this recipe and boost your noodles!

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Chinese Braised Beef Shank (酱牛肉, Jiang Niu Rou)

Introducing a Chinese beef shank recipe that features tender juicy braised beef in a rich and savory broth that's full of aroma. The recipe requires very little easily-on time and is super easy to put together. Once done, you can enjoy the beef by itself, use it to make salad, superlative noodles with it, and more than. The braising goop, also known every bit "chief sauce" in China, can be used again and once again for marinating and braising meat, tofu, and vegetables. {Gluten-Free adjustable}

To make this dish gluten-gratuitous, use dry sherry to replace Shaoxing vino, and employ tamari to supervene upon the lite and dark soy sauces.

Course: Primary

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: home style

Prep Fourth dimension: 20 minutes

Cook Fourth dimension: 1 hour

Total Time: ane 60 minutes xx minutes

Blanching

• 2 to 3 lbs (i to ane.4 kg) beef shank (shin) , sliced to large seize with teeth-size pieces (*Footnote 1)
• ii tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 4 green onions , cut into 2" (five cm) long pieces
• 1 thumb ginger , sliced
• 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

To blanch the beef

• Add the beef into a big pot (or an Instant pot or a force per unit area cooker). Add together 4 cups of cold tap h2o to encompass the beef. Add the light-green onions, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns. Cook over medium-high heat until it reaches a boil. Stir occasionally to prevent from sticking. Turn to medium oestrus. Boil for ten minutes while skimming the brown foam off the peak and discarding the foam.

To braise

• Combine the soybean paste, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce in a small basin. Mix thoroughly until the soybean paste has completely dissolved into a smooth sauce.

• To employ an Instant Pot or pressure cooker: Add the soybean sauce mixture and the rest of the braising ingredients. Seal the pot. For the Instant Pot, force per unit area cook on high for 35 minutes. For a pressure cooker, estrus over medium rut until it reaches loftier pressure. Plow to depression heat, so melt at high pressure level for 35 minutes (*Footnote ane). Once done, release the pressure naturally by letting the pot sit for xx minutes.

• To cook on stovetop: add the soybean sauce mixture and the rest of the braising ingredients to the pot. Cook over medium-high rut until it reaches a simmer. Plow to medium-low heat. Simmer, covered, until the beef turns tender but is not falling apart, 1.five to 2 hours.

• The beef is cooked now. But for the best result, transfer the beef, broth, and all the spices to a big container. One time it has cooled completely, cover the container and store information technology in the fridge overnight before serving.

• To serve, piece the beef into thin pieces. Serve it by itself, in a salad, or as a noodle / rice basin topping.

1. If you cannot find beef shank, you lot can also employ other cuts such as chuck, brisket, or short ribs. For pressure cooking times, melt chuck for twoscore minutes, short ribs for 45 minutes, and brisket for hour.
2. If y'all do not have either, you tin can use black edible bean sauce or oyster sauce as a substitute. The flavor of the finished dish will be unlike but delicious regardless.

Serving: 1 serving , Calories: 229 kcal , Carbohydrates: 4 g , Protein: 34.nine g , Fat: seven.2 1000 , Saturated Fat: two.7 g , Cholesterol: 101 mg , Sodium: 510 mg , Potassium: 475 mg , Fiber: 0.2 g , Saccharide: 2.2 g , Calcium: four mg , Iron: 21 mg

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Source: https://omnivorescookbook.com/chinese-braised-beef-shank/